A Badger for All Seasons
by Lemontail
Summary: Firepaw goes on a hunt, but gets more than he bargained for when he meets a stanger who seems to be tresspassing on ThunderClan territory! What will Firepaw do? Find out what crafty sceam he thinks up. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES R&R!


A Badger for all Seasons

"**OK, this is my very first fanfiction, so be nice to me! I think it's a noble attempt if I do so say myself. Pls R&R! It is set just when Firepaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw begin training together in Into The Wild. It's more interesting than it sounds. See 4 yourself!"**

Light filled the empty clearing; day was at hand. "Wake up Firepaw!" a small gray apprentice coaxed the red pelted tabby out of the apprentice's den, and out of slumber! "Yes Graypaw?" Firepaw let out a loud yawn. "It's time for our training; come on lazy kittypet," Graypaw taunted humorously.

"Ok, ok I'm YAWN coming right now!" Firepaw zigzagged quickly out of the green brush surrounding the apprentice's den. He ran to a grassy field where a party of four cats was congregating. The cats were Graypaw, his newly made timid friend, Ravenpaw, and the trainers: Tigerclaw, a dark tabby with massive claws, and Bluestar, the noble Clan leader. "What took you so long worthless kittypet!" Tigerclaw inquired roughly. "I'm here now aren't I?" Firepaw retorted coolly, knowing full well Tigerclaw's anger was beginning to boil inside his dark torn pelt.

"That's enough!" Bluestar intervened, ending the light quarrel. "Tigerclaw is an experienced warrior, listen to him, even if he runs his temper at you." Firepaw felt the sting of embarrassment run through his bones and into his now hot face. "I apologize, Tigerclaw," Firepaw forced the words out of his tight shut mouth.

"Now then," Bluestar began. "Graypaw, Ravenpaw, and Firepaw," she turned to the red tabby apprentice. "All of you: go into the woods, the brush, the meadows, and even in the ThunderClan moors just bordering WindClan territory, in search of prey. The apprentice to bring back the most to eat will be honored with special recognition by the Clan. But don't expect too much; you are after all, just apprentices."

"Do you expect the kittypet to go alone in the forest without a warrior protecting him?" Tigerclaw challenged the ThunderClan leader as Firepaw dashed through the clumps of trees that hid the meadow in which Fourtrees was located.

Tigerclaw was always impulsive when it came to badgering him about his kittypet past, as were many cats in ThunderClan. Maybe this test Bluestar had laid out for him would show the Clan his loyalty!

"There might be all sorts of good prey hiding in the cracks of wood in those great trees!" He meowed as he gazed at the massive oaks the Clan cats all called Fourtrees. He rushed towards it, but changed direction seeing some dead wood scraps torn off from a rotting tree in a recent wind storm. The dead wood scented of lizard, could some be hiding in the rubbish? Sure enough, when Firepaw jabbed the hunks of rotting wood away, he found a group of seven frightened lizards! "Not much a catch, but I need all the prey I can get." Firepaw whispered as he slashed his small paw at the group, immediately killing three as the other four dashed away for cover. He dug a small hole in a nearby pile of soft dirt and carefully dropped the pile of dead reptiles in, noting in his mind to return for them as he piled the soil back on.

He was less knowledgeable about where to find good prey than Ravenpaw and Graypaw. This seemed very unfair to Firepaw! But he pushed his envy away, considering it too childish for an apprentice trying to make his destiny the life of a warrior!

He saw something moving in a faraway birch, hidden by its green leaves. He sniffed, but couldn't tell what it was; he needed to learn his forest scents better before he even hoped to scent something this far away! Again, envy ached through his energetic bones. Graypaw had all his kithood, and a little more to know the scents of the forest. It didn't seem fair! But Firepaw pushed the envy away, thinking (AGAIN!) that it was a very childish thing indeed!

_(Or a very kittish thing, indeed)_

Firepaw continued to eye the moving birch, drawing ever so slowly towards it. He was finally able to see it. "Who goes there?" yelled a rough voice through the green brush. The creature turned to him. It was a large Badger. Firepaw had always heard that Badgers had no real language, but they must have some, this one spoke clearly! "Stay back, I'll call for help and you'll be sorry! Stay back!" Firepaw begged helplessly as the Badger advanced towards him, cornering him against three massive maple trees! He had no direction to run. Was this his fate? Firepaw felt helpless! He had just been taken into ThunderClan. Could his short Clan legacy end so abruptly? And so painfully!

He could just see all the cats wisecracking about how he was such a wimpy kittypet, and that his death was meant to happen! "Don't be afraid of myself." The Badger mumbled quickely, I am only making a pilgrimage to this land, be com my feline friend." "Who are you Badger? Why are you so friendly? How do you speak a language? What Pilgrimage are you making?" all the questions spewed wildly out of Firepaw's mouth like a waterfall in rainy season. "I answer more slowly, one question at a time, please! O yes, I am Midnight, I have come to this land to speak with StarClan at highstones. I mean your Clan or you any harm my red pelted friend."

"You believe in StarClan?" Firepaw looked puzzled. "Yes, I have since as long as I can remember. They needed more to in their service, so they picked the next best thing to a cat, a Badger like myself." Midnight stared deeply into Firepaw's eyes. "I take it you believe in the great warrior ancestors then?" Midnight inquired him. "Yes, I do, but a Badger. I, I didn't know Badgers could speak, or could even comprehend StarClan." "Not all of my species have my speaking talents, or my brilliant mind. I have learned to trust StarClan, I am their servant now. I have come only to speak with the great cats at highstones. They have granted me a special place in StarClan when my life sadly ends." I got lost on my way there, and ended up in this forest."

"Where are you from?" Firepaw yelled as he scampered closer to the friendly creature. "I am from the sun drown place," said Midnight as he hurried his slow pace. "Where is this sun drown place!" "The way my steps are heading," answered Midnight again, traveling at yet a quicker pace now. "Goodbye, I must go." Yowled the Badger as he scurried away for highstones, this time at running speed. Firepaw didn't trust the Badger, he had to investigate. He ran off towards Midnight again, staying far enough behind to not be seen.

**So, is this fanfic good, bad, or ugly? PLS R&R the coming chapters! Thanx for reading my 1st fanfic (IF YOU DID) LOL, see ya: On the next chapter!**


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